Friday, July 30, 2010

Happy Friday to you! It's a very happy Friday for me, because I've finally done a little decorating--thanks to none other than the inimitable Doctor Zen!!!

I had four banner contest entries, which is four more than I expected to get, so thank you so, so much to Zen, Disgruntled Julie, Genomic Repairman, and my amazing sister for your awesome contributions. Thanks, too, for proving commenter JayZ over at the blogspot page wrong--or right? I really am that egotistical!

Now, it's almost no surprise that Zen won this contest, because Zen is the creator of the excellent Better Posters blog, which all of you should have bookmarked. What is Better Posters about, you ask? Well, think about it this way: how much do most conference posters suck? The answer is "a lot." But in Better Posters, Zen gives you all kinds of helpful design tips for making yours not only eye-catching from a distance, but pleasing to look at and easy to read. He also gives you secret subconscious tips for keeping people's attention, like facing the fish toward your text, rather than away from it. Finally, he is, quite simply, hilarious.

Now, why did this particular banner win? Let's break it down. First, I like the simplicity of color choice. One of my requirements was that it had to look good with my Dumbo bum, and I think this is achieved quite well. Next, I love the "fumbling" photo. Not only is it funny, but I like the B&W, as I generally prefer old-timey-looking things over newer-looking things. Finally, the 2-tone title gives the whole thing a little pop, and the font is just playful enough without getting anywhere near Comic Sans territory. Love it. All of it.

Congrats, Zen!